1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tools for use in rotating a workpiece such as a typical screw-on type oil filter of an internal combustion motor or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various tools have heretofore been developed for use in rotating a typical screw-on cartridge type oil filter or the like. One such tool consists of an adjustable wrench including a belt B for encircling the filter, and including a lever L coupled to the opposite ends of the belt B in such a manner that initial pivotal movement of the lever L will tighten the belt B about the filter and subsequent pivotal movement of the lever L will cause the filter to rotate (see FIGS. 11 and 12). The lever L may consist of an elongated handle H extending radially outward from the belt B for allowing the user of the wrench to manually grip and rotate the handle H (see FIG. 11), or may consist of an elongated plate P having a socket S or the like mounted thereon for allowing the user of the wrench to utilize a tool such as a typical socket wrench to rotate the lever L (see FIG. 12). Such belt/lever type filter wrenches have certain advantages over other prior art type filter wrenches of the fixed size or spring-clamp type in that, for example, such belt/lever type filter wrenches provide secure gripping of the filter regardless of small variances in the diameter of the filter, etc. However, such prior art belt/lever type filter wrenches are disadvantageous in that, in operation, the lever L thereof must be moved through an arc A (see FIGS. 11 and 12) that is spaced radially outward from the longitudinal axis of the filter thus often creating interference with structure that may be located radially adjacent the filter when the filter is attached to the motor block or the like. The present invention is not disclosed or suggested by any known prior art.